Bolder Boulder founder Steve Bosley has vivid memories of each of the past 34 Memorial Days.

It's what happens when you pour your heart and soul into one day of the year.

Bosley has spent those 34 Memorial Days doing all he can to produce the best road race in America while paying tribute to the men and women of the U.S. military who have sacrificed so much.

It makes one wonder, what did Bosley do on Memorial Day in 1978, the year before the first Bolder Boulder?

"I was probably guilty of what a lot of people are, think about it but then don't do anything," he said recently in reference to honoring those who have given their lives for our freedom.

The 71-year-old former bank president hasn't participated in the race since 1980 when he said he ran at a frantic pace because he was worried about all the possible problems that might need his attention while he was on the course. He hoped to be able to participate this year but a bad knee will prevent that from happening.

His knee, which will likely need to be replaced in the near future, usually still allows him to take his early morning walks outside his country home. It is on those walks when Bosley occasionally allows himself to consider the impact the race has had on hundreds of thousands of lives as well as the Boulder community over the years.

"Every now and then when I'm walking I'm thinking, 'Boy, we've been able to affect that many people's lives,'" Bosley said. "The fitness thing, encouraging people to be fit is almost a given. The things like economic impact. I don't discard those. Every little piece of that matters.

Steve Bosley at North Boulder Park where the first Bolder Boulder finished 35 years ago.
(
CLIFF GRASSMICK
)

But when you're talking about that many peoples' lives who can be affected by it, and the thousands of people who donate their time and commitment and effort to it, it couldn't happen without them."

Bosley set out to produce a quality track meet for kids back in 1979 after attending one he thought was shoddily organized. He ended up creating an iconic road race rated among the elite events of its kind in the nation after legendary

runner Frank Shorter advised against a track meet because of the volume of work involved and the facility it required.

But the Bolder Boulder has become so much more than a simple 10K all these years later.

It's an event three and even four generations of Boulder families have now experienced. It has had an economic impact of millions of dollars on the community. It has helped many of its participants lead healthier lifestyles and has provided opportunities for some to take part in a race where none might otherwise be available. Nearly 1.1 million racers have crossed the finish line. It has spawned five satellite races at military sites around the world.

It's a tradition engrained in the fabric of Boulder to the point that a Memorial Day weekend without it is now unthinkable.

"So many of the words are so overused," Bosley said. "The best I can come up with is just that it's very humbling and it's also an honor that people want to keep coming back and want to participate in what we're doing."

Shorter believes most of the best races around the world reflect the personality of the people who run them. He said the Bolder Boulder is unmistakably Bosley because it is inclusive, transparent and forward thinking.

"Steve has always been the personality that drove this, and I think my connection with it was to draw attention to it and give him absolute credibility by saying, 'If anyone can do this, he can do it,'" Shorter said. "The other thing that works and why it works is that Steve is totally transparent. He doesn't have any hidden agendas. That's why it's so much fun to work with him."

It's a bit odd that a Republican who was born and raised in Nebraska would become such a success story in a town known for its liberal leanings with a college football team that has a bitter rivalry with the University of Nebraska.

Bosley resisted the opportunity to sell the race in 1998 along with the sale of The Bank of Boulder, for which he served as president and CEO from 1974 to 1998. He couldn't stomach the possibility that the race might be neglected by new management or that new owners might try to expand it to a point where it would become impossible to provide a quality experience to participants.

With his son, Cliff, having taken over much of the day-to-day operations of the race years ago, Bosley is happy to have the race in family hands. It will likely remain so for years to come because of the passion the entire family still has for operating it each year.

What does Steve Bosley think of the idea that the Bolder Boulder could someday celebrate its 100th anniversary?

"Wouldn't that be great?" he said. "You can look at it as a family business. We just happen to be a very unique one."

Bosley said there are no big plans for expansion or significant changes, but that doesn't mean they aren't considered frequently. Indeed, the race looks significantly different now than it did even in the 1990s.

He said his primary goals for the future of the Bolder Boulder are that it continues to provide a first-class experience to those who participate, it continues to pay homage to the heroes of our country and it continues its tradition of innovations such as the wave start now widely used, even by the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series.

"If you're going to be on this team, you better know that brainstorming is part of it and you can get fired for saying, 'That's a bad idea.' Literally," he said. "Everything is tested, everything and every aspect of everything. There are no sacred cows except the quality."

Bill Tongue, of Colorado Springs, holds an American flag after crossing the finish line inside Folsom Field on the University of Colorado campus on Monday, May 28, 2012, during the Bolder Boulder citizens race in Boulder, Colo. (Jeremy Papasso / Camera file photo)

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